


The Past Can

by a_k_copeman



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Bonding, Explicit Language, First Time, M/M, Romance, Sexual Content, Slash sex, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-21
Updated: 2011-04-21
Packaged: 2018-09-30 19:21:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10170032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_k_copeman/pseuds/a_k_copeman
Summary: The war recieves a much needed kick in the arse when some unexpected visitors disrupt Harry's life."It Can Haunt you, It Can free You."





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Note from SeparatriX, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [HP Fandom](http://fanlore.org/wiki/HP_Fandom_\(archive\)), which was closed for health and financial reasons. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [HP Fandom collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hpfandom/profile).

Author Notes: I’ve set this in 2009 when the part one was supposed to have been released, because I preferred to.

Warnings: swearing, slash.

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**_The past comes back to haunt you_ **

Harry sat quietly at the Gryffindor table, like he did every morning. He exchanged quiet words with his friends, like he did every day. He stared into his porridge, deftly ignoring everything else around him, just like he always did. Harry had just begun his seventh year and was settling back into the routine of school after a hectic holiday of hide and seek with Death Eaters and Voldemort; changing home as often as every two days. He glanced up and examined the sea of faces around him, all wore similar downcast expressions. Hermione had said that they were reflecting his mood; after all he was, for all intensive purposes, their ‘beacon of hope, their leader’. Harry thought it more likely that people were starting to hear rumours about Death Eaters and Dark Lords, after all rumours were the only source of information nowadays, the prophet certainly wasn’t printing anything other than crap. Some days it would be he can save the world, the next it would be he’d become the next Dark Lord, or sometimes (just for variety, he suspected) it would be some kind of crap about him fucking a muggle girl who was now pregnant and threatening to abort the baby. 

The more days that went by, the more he just couldn’t care.

One thing that had changed, Severus Snape wasn’t teaching at Hogwarts. Instead, a man named Horace Slughorn taught potions, although the Headmaster assured everyone Snape would be back after Christmas (which Harry found oddly comforting, though he’d not told anyone this). Harry quietly his observations; there was barely one person who looked in the least bit cheerful, even Malfoy was subdued. Those who met his eye offered a weak smile before turning back to their meals. Harry’s tasted like sludge and made him want to be sick, but he promised Hermione he would eat something at least twice a day. 

His thoughts wandered to what the school needed to lift it out of this low mood; a change, a light hearted distraction, something of a pick me up. Merlin knows where he’d find any of those. At Hermione’s hinting cough he sent a weak glare at her and returned to his sludge. He risked a glance at the head table and noticed that professor Dumbledore looked… on edge. Like he was waiting for something. Twinkling blue eyes met his, filling Harry with unease, he knew that headmaster well enough now to know that look boded an ‘incident’ or some kind of twist to the never ending show that was his life. Casting a suspicious look at the old man, which only received more twinkling, Harry turned to tell his friends of his suspicions, before he’d even got that far; a strong magical vibration pulsed through the room, a pre-shock of magical happenings. 

This was a common occurrence in Hogwarts, it was of course a magical school, but Harry had only ever felt one this strong a few times before, most of them Voldemort related. On high alert he looked at everyone person in the room, trying to gauge the cause. Only a few student had even registered the shock, Neville and Draco amongst them, and only a few teachers as well. Most just felt a shift and fidgeted in their seats, only the magically strong can feel a magical vibration. He looked once again, to find a blinding twinkle coming from the headmaster, before a blinding flash of white light lit the entire great hall like the inside of a thousand watt bulb. Once the glare had disappeared there, across the table from him, were people he never expected to see.

***

“Evans.” Severus approached the Gryffindor table cautiously, to where Lily and her friend Violet Brown were quietly chatting.

“Ah, good morning Severus!” she said, in that usual bouncy, full of life attitude of hers that was Severus’ safe haven.

“You left your charms book in the classroom.” _Thanks for letting me borrow it._

“Oh! Thank you Severus, for returning it; I know you didn’t have to.” _You’re welcome._

“It was little trouble.” _You can borrow my potions text again if you need it._

“Still, thank you.” _I’ll have to take you up on that._

The two shared meaningful looks, sharing an entirely different conversation to the one everyone else around them heard, a skill they had become adapt at during their years as ‘secret friends’. It was a close friendship, despite the barriers that restricted it; they helped each other in the classes the other was weakest at, which the other happened to excel in, and shared shallow but meaningful problems, both knew (or at least had a general idea of) the other’s full story, but they never discussed it.

With a curt nod, Severus turned to go.

“Oi, Snivellus!” 

“Potter. Something I can help you with?” Potter and his gang approached Severus at a fast past, as least, Potter and Black were. Pettigrew lagged behind; eyeing Snape warily and Lupin seated himself across from Lilly, keeping one eye on his friends.

“I was just about to ask you that seeing as you’re at my table.”

“But I am not here to see you.” Really, the very notion was absurd.

“No but you’re here to see my girl-”

“I am NOT your property!” Lily stood, facing James with a frightening look on her face, one that was well known to make boys cower.

“I know _that_ -” 

“Do you!? Because you certainly don’t act like you do!” Potter shied away at the foreboding tone. Severus took his chance to get away unscathed, with an amused smirk playing across his lips. 

“Where are you going!?” Potter demanded. _Insufferable whelp._

“Away from you.” was the curt reply. Severus tried again to walk away, were it not for the hand that had latched on to his wrist. “Let go Potter!”

“I’ll see you when you’ve decided to grow up, James.” Lily stalked past Potter, with anger in her stride. 

“Lilly! Hold up!” Severus felt a strong vibration course through the air as Potter grabbed hold of Lilly’s wrist too, a light bright enough to the whole castle at the dead of night blinded him.

He had barely enough time to take in a breath of air before it was squashed out of him again, he felt like he was floating aimlessly despite the gales force wind sucking the air out of his very lungs. He landed with a heavy, painful ‘thud’ on the floor of the great hall, potter landing on top of him and Lily sprawled over his legs. He waited to hear the sniggering and the jokes, but found only silence met his ears.

“Get off me Potter!” 

“Aww, don’t you like me being on top of you?”

“Do you like being there?” Snape asked in a suspicious tone.

“… No, not really.”

“Get the hell off of me!”

“Um, guys?”

“Yes, Lily?” the two scrambled to their feet, trying to glare the other into submission. 

“We have a problem.”

“We?”

“Yes James, WE, as in the three of us.”

“Lily, our only problem is being in such close proximity to Snape here.”

“Ooh, big words Potter, have you been thumbing through the dictionary trying to feign intelligence? Again.”

“HEY!” the two bickering school-mates turned to the redhead, with startled expressions.

“Lily we’re right here there’s no need to shout.” She fixed her glare on James, seemingly trying to burn him with her eyes. Really, Severus could learn much from her.

“There was every need to shout!”

“Calm down…” James foolishly tried to placate the irate female by holding up his hand and trying to slowly edge closer.

Into his hands lily thrust a paper; the prophet.

“Wha-What the hell!?”

“What’s beyond your comprehension now, Potter?” Severus ripped the paper from his grasp and scanned the title.

 

_**Boy Who Lived**  
Our saviour or our doom?_

_We all know of the boy who lived, the chosen one, saviour to the wizarding world, but do we really know him? We all assume that he will save us from the biggest threat to our world; He Who Must Not Be Named, but what if he didn’t? What if he joined their forces? They would be unstoppable, and we would all be doomed. _

_…continues on page four._

 

Severus scowled at the paper, this was all news to him. Looking up he skimmed the hall for any sign of a snicker or giggle. Surely this was some kind of joke. He realised he didn’t know a single face in the crowed of students, he turned back to the paper and searched frantically for a date, as absurd as it seemed, and was floored. Oh, it was the fourth of September alright, of _2009._


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

Severus turned to a boy near him. Well, boy might have been a bit of an understatement, he was well built, handsome and definitely all man. 

“Excuse me.”

***

“Excuse me.”

“Yes?” Harry looked up at the teenage faces of his parents and professor, unbelievingly. He must be hallucinating. Yeah, that’s right; hallucinating.

“Who’s this ‘boy who lived’?” James blurted.

“Ah.” Harry furrowed his brow ever so slightly; unable to hear that name without unpleasant memories trying to force their way back into his mind. “Well supposedly he is the one that will end the war.” _Should I tell them? Would they even believe me?_

“You sound sceptical.”

“No, it very much seems that he is the only one who can stop Voldemort.” He noticed Severus repress a flinch at the name, and many around him attempted the same.

“How can you say his name without fear?”

“Yeah, you’ve got to have some ball-” James was cut of by an unmistakable bearded old man.

“Excuse me.” The headmaster stood twinkling at them all. “I do hope I’m not interrupting anything?”

“Headmaster! Sir, please we need your help.” Lily pleaded.

“Yes, I thought you might. I see you’ve met Harry! Splendid! Harry my boy, would you report to my office in half an hour please? Don’t worry about your lessons.”

“Yes sir.”

“Thank you dear boy, now then would you three kindly follow me?” they traipsed after the headmaster paying acknowledgment to Harry as they passed, a ‘nice to meet you’ from Lily, a ‘likewise’ from James, and to his astonishment, a nod from Severus accompanied by a piercing look. That look left Harry unsettled, although he wouldn’t say he was adverse to it being directed at him again. Harry watched them go with a heavy heart.   
With a white face he did something he hadn’t done in months.

He smiled. 

***

“Please sit down and we’ll discuss this.” Dumbledore gestured to seats across from him and picked up a ceramic bowl full of yellow sweets. “Sherbet lemon?” after a chorus of denials he set the bowl back down. “Well, I’m sure you all want a catch up on the last twenty years right?” he held up a silencing hand when all three began to ask question at the same time. “Now, now; calm down. Severus, why don’t you go first?”

“Thank you, sir. How did we get here?” 

“Ah, I’ll answer that when Harry arrives.”

“Why is he important to this?” scoffed James. 

“He is very important for a number of reasons, the least of which being he is head boy and it will be his responsibility to help you settle in.”

“He can do that without being here.”

“I said that was the least reason, Mr. Potter. Let’s move on. Lily do you have a question?” 

“Um… Do we have any family in this time?” Severus resisted the urge to shield his eyes at the light in the headmaster’s eyes. 

“Yes you do, I’ll introduce you to them shortly.”

“Is Petunia alright?” 

“I don’t know why you care so much about her Lily; she detests anything magical.”

“I know, but she’s still my sister.”

“Petunia Dursley lives with her husband and son in Surry, Lily. However, I’m afraid I must forbid you from seeing them.” A dark look had crept across the headmasters’ features, but Severus seemed to be the only one who’d noticed.

“Why?”

“Those reason aren’t mine to tell. James, do you have a question?” 

“Um… Yeah. What’s this whole boy who lived thing? How is the war going?” Lily looked put out at the change of topic, but accepted it grudgingly.

The twinkle returned to the headmasters’ eye. “Well, the boy who lived did just that; he lived.”

“Through what, sir?” Potter sounded impatient and impudent to Severus.

“He survived the killing curse when he was just a year old.”

“That’s impossible!” Severus snapped.

“Yes, we thought so too, but he did it; he has the scar to prove it.”

“How!?”

“Love.”

“Are you telling me a baby used love to survive the killing curse?” Severus sounded as he felt; incredulous. 

“Yes… and no. it’s not really something I should be telling you about, I’m sure you’ll hear all about it soon enough.”

Severus opened his mouth to protest, but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Come in.” the boy from earlier strode in, Harry, and took a seat at Dumbledore’s insistence. “Now then Lily, I recall promising you I’d introduce you to your family?” Severus took note of the way Harry tensed beside him. “Well this is he; Harry Potter.”

“Potter!?” 

“Potter!?

“Potter!” three voices screeched in Harry’s ear. 

“That’s right; Harry James Potter.” Harry’s lip quirked at the cheering sounds coming from James’ general direction.

“Well stand up! Let’s have a look at you.” Harry stood, feeling somewhat uncomfortable as Lily guessed his height, weight and other general health issues. “He has your hair James, just without the wax.” She ignored the cries of indignation and moved on to dissecting his facial features. ‘My nose… James’ jaw… my eyes…’ she turned his head left and right, tilted it up, ran her fingers her unruly black hair, and just when Harry was starting to feel like a prize pig, she gasped, spying something beneath the heavy fringe. Slipping a finger into his fringe, noticing the slight flinch, she parted his hair like a curtain. She gaped at the lightening bolt shaped scar that hid there, eventually dragging her hand away and eyes down to meet Harry’s, laced with an unknown emotion.

“Lily? What’s wrong?” James joined her in inspecting Harry, although far less thoroughly. Lily had been standing in front of Harry, preventing the others in the room from seeing his scar.

“Umm… Nothing. Look at him James! Isn’t he handsome!?” she clasped onto Harry’s hand. 

“Yep! Must be my genes! Yours too!” He quickly added. Harry blushed and let himself be led back to the chairs.

“Headmaster, you said you’d tell us how we got here once Harry had arrived?”

“Mm hmm, yes. Well you see magic doesn’t apply to the rules of time or space; it simply is. The castle is a very magically strong place, every stone, armour and window buzzes with it. Magic also has a likeness of conscience; or rather, it is every kind of magic, divination, transfiguration ect., rolled into one, allowing it to change the setting around it to how it is supposed to be, if you follow me. So what I believe has happened is that magic ‘knew’ you must be where you are now, and so has brought you here. I think that it created a set of magical magnates, to be set off at particular times, those magnets are drawn to each other, and you three seem to be their focus, drawn to them when they activate.”

Harry nodded in understanding and turned to look at the other three in the room, Severus and Lily wore look of contemplation while James was just staring at Dumbledore as if he’d fallen asleep with his eyes open. 

“I’m pretty sure I get it.” Lily said, Severus agreed with her.

“I don’t get it. But it’s ok cause that lot get it.” Dumbledore chuckled to himself. 

“Very well then, next thing on the list is where you’ll be staying, having thought it over, I’ve decided you’ll all be staying in Gryffindor tower.” He held up an old, wrinkled hand again to silence the loud protests; Severus protesting his staying in Gryffindor, James the same thing. “Hear me out, it is safer in Gryffindor than Slytherin at this moment in time, and I think it’s best you all stay together. Besides, you’ll need Harry around to help you, all of you, and he is more than up to the job. Any questions? No? Good. Right, last thing; you need supplies. Harry will accompany you to Diagon Alley under a guise; safety first. Harry, take money out of Gringotts for Lily and James, Severus, your older self has left you a bag of gold.” Reaching into a draw he pulled out a leather money pouch. Taking it, Severus cast a summery spell on it. A low whistle escaped his lips. 100 Galleons was a lot of money. 

“I don’t suppose there’s any chance of talking to my older self, is there?”

“Goodness no, child. If you were to meet yourself it would invariably create a paradox and you would suffer mental illness. Do not attempt to contact him.”

“Yes sir.” Severus really didn’t need to be told twice. 

“Now then, Harry, would you do the honour of performing the glamours?”

“Of course, professor. What would you all like to look like for the day?”

Twenty minute later they all had their new masks up. James opted for a navy blue shine to his hair and eyes to match, Lily had honey blonde hair with gold eyes, Severus wore a shaggy red/brown cut and hazel eyes, and Harry sported his customary silver bangs and lilac eyes, complete with minor facial reconstruction for each.

“You all have your apparation licenses, yes? Good. I know you don’t Harry, but we’ll over look that for the now. I expect you all back in time for dinner. Have fun!” As they all started to leave he called softly to Harry. “Harry. Tell them anything you want; no restrictions.” Harry nodded and turned to follow the others down the spiral staircase.


End file.
